Over the past year, significant developments have occurred in the workplace, and the impact of the pandemic on organizations has become increasingly evident. This is reflected in InnerVoice's annual employee engagement survey conducted among workers in the Netherlands. The survey assesses workplace engagement, employee enthusiasm, and employee satisfaction with their employers.

Decline in larger organizations
While we observe a notable increase in enthusiasm and engagement among smaller to medium-sized companies, this trend is not as pronounced in larger organizations. There has been a decline in employee satisfaction with their employers and their enthusiasm for their work in these larger companies.

Recommendation by SME employees
What is noteworthy is the disparity in employees' willingness to recommend their own employers, as indicated by the Employee Net Promoter Score (ENPS). This score is remarkably high in organizations with 50 to 100 employees (ENPS +23) and those with 100 to 200 employees (ENPS +32). These groups also show significant improvements compared to the previous year. In contrast, larger employers (500 employees and above) are trailing, with an ENPS of only +6, the same score as in 2020.

Individual needs and narratives
The question that arises is how these differences have come about and what organizations can do to enhance employee engagement and boost enthusiasm.

One important insight that emerges is that each employee has their own unique story and context, both at work and at home, especially with the increase in remote work. In this context, larger organizations have conducted more surveys among employees lately, such as the COVID pulse surveys. Smaller organizations, on the other hand, have been engaging in direct conversations with their employees more frequently. It appears that surveys were not always able to fully capture the genuine needs of employees.

Therefore, it is crucial to empower employees to share their own perspectives, listen to their experiences and stories, and engage in direct dialogues with them. This goes beyond relying solely on statistics and trends that arise from surveys.

A strategic combination of surveys and direct dialogues, for instance, through an online community, proves to be an effective approach. InnerVoice has found that this approach works well and yields substantial engagement and innovative ideas, particularly with our clients, who are often larger organizations.

In these times, genuinely listening to your employees is of paramount importance. Unsure of where to begin? Feel free to reach out to me, and together, we can explore the possibilities to enhance your employees' engagement and enthusiasm.